Method of playing golf under conditions of insufficient light

ABSTRACT

This is concerned with a method of playing golf under conditions of insufficient light, for example, at night or dusk, in which fluorescent balls are used with a light on a motorized caddy cart with fluorescent flags on the pins and a fluorescent ring, for example, painted around the top of the iron cup in the hole so that a player, when on the green, can lag putt to the flag but will be close enough on the normal second putt so that he can see the fluorescent ring on the iron which is about an inch below the surface of the green.

United States Patent Welch 5] Nov. 11, 1975 [5 METHOD OF PLAYING GOLF UNDER 3.351.347 11/1967 Smith a a1 273/213 CONDITIONS OF [NSUFFICIENT LIGHT 3.464.703 9/1969 Vallas 273/176 A 3.649.029 3/1972 Worrcll 273/186 C Inventor: Medard Welch, 1111 Sheridan 3.709.495 1/1973 Krombein 273/1310. 24 R0ad,Winnetka, 111. 60093 3.782.730 1/1974 Horchler 273/213 [22] Flled' Sept 1974 Primary E.\'um1'11erGeorge J. Marlo [21] Appl. N0.: 502,784 Attorney. Agent. or Firm-Kinzer. Plyer. Dorn &

Related U.S. Application Data MCEdChran [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 462.655. April 22. [57] ABSTRACT 1974. abandoned.

This is concerned with a method of playing golf under [52] s CLW 273/176 273/DIG 24; 273/34 conditions of insufficient light, for example, at night 01' 273/213 dusk, in which fluorescent balls are used with a light [51] Int. CL2A63B 67/02; A63B 57/00; A63B 43/06 on a motorized caddy cart with fluorescent flags on [58] Field of Search 273/34, 176, 186, 213. the Pins and a fluorescent ring for eXumPle- Painted 273/DIG 24, 32 around the top of the iron cup in the hole so that a player, when on the green. can lag putt to the flag but [56] References Cited will be close enough on the normal second putt so that UNITED STATES PATENTS he can see the fluorescent ring on the iron which is about an inch below the surface of the green. 1.813.696 7/1931 Crocker 273/34 R 2.694.573 11/1954 Walker 273/32 R 2.846.229 8/1958 Morris 273/176 AB 5 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures US. Patent Nov. 11, 1975 METHOD OF PLAYING GOLF UNDER CONDITIONS OF INSUFFICIENT LIGHT CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 462,655, filed Apr. 22, 1974, now abandoned.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention is concerned with a method of playing golf under conditions of insufficient light and includes the use of various fluorescent materials, objects and paint where the fluorescence is ofthe type that gives off light and does not require any light to activate it.

A primary object of the invention is a method of playing golf at night or dusk which uses fluorescent balls and flags on the pins.

Another object is a method of the above type in which a light is used on a motorized caddy cart to guide the players and to generally give light for their movement but is not necessary for activating the fluorescence on the balls, flags, etc.

Another object is a method of playing golf at night which does not require any special lighting on the course.

Another object is a method of the above type in which any golf course could become available for play at night without any special lighting and would have equal use during the daytime.

Another object is a method of putting on a conventional golf green at night in which the first putt, which is normally a lag putt, may be made in the normal manner because the flag, and possibly the pin itself, are fluorescent, and the second putt, which is normally made from, hopefully, within about six feet, is close enough for the player to see a fluorescent ring painted or otherwise superimposed on the upper edge'of the iron cup down in the hole with the ring being normally about, say, an inch or less below ground level.

Other objects will appear from time to time in the ensuing specification and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective of a golf game; and FIG. 2 is a partial section of a cup or golf hole.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In the perspective, FIG. 1, a golf green is shown with a number of players designated 10, some of them men and some otherwise. The players are shown on a normal golf green 12 with one player putting and the others waiting. Each player has a ball 14 with a flag l6 designating the hole being on a pin 18 positioned in the hole in the usual manner. A motorized caddy cart, which may be electrically operated as is conventional and quite popular nowadays, is designated at 20 and may have a directable light 22 thereon for illuminating the general area of play.

Each of the balls 14 is coated or impregnated with a fluorescent substance which gives off a suitable color of light, for example red, and is of the type that does not require any external light to activate it. On the tee each player may strike the ball in turn with the caddy cart and light 22 positioned behind the tee and projecting down the fairway in the general direction that the players hope to go. As each player in turn approaches and hits his ball either on the fairway or in the rough, the cart may be moved from a position behind one player to the next so that the player has the light behind him as he takes his shot so that he will know generally the direction he desires and the objects or obstacles be tween him and the green.

A forecaddy could use a flag or marker 24 to mark the lie of the balls in the fairway or in the rough so that each player could go directly to his ball. The short flag 24 could also be, and preferably is, fluorescent.-

The main flag 16 on the green marking the hole could also be fluorescent so that each player could locate the green generally when he is making his approach shot.

Once on the green, the light 22 on the cart would merely serve the purpose of illuminating the general area. As is well known, most players putt twice on each green, the first being generally considered a lag putt and the second they hope to sink. In the case of the first or lag'putt, the pin 18 could be left in the holes'o that the players could locate the hole by the pin and lag to it which is suppose to be what is taking place in FIG. 1. The staff or pole 18 of the flag could also be fluorescent, if desired, so that the location in the green could be accurately determined by a player either approaching or lagging his first putt.

As shown in FIG. 2, the iron cup 26 which is positioned down in the hole and has a center web with a middle boss for holding the pin 18 normally is countersunk below the upper surface of the green by a certain amount, for example approximately an inch or less. I propose to paint or otherwise form on the upper edge of the iron a fluorescent ring 28. The object of this is that when the players are making their second putt, they will be close enough to the hole so that they will be able to see the fluorescent ring 28 on the iron which will give them an accurate target to shoot at.

In the case of four players, as shown in FIG. 1, two golf carts are normally desired so that all four players may ride. In such a case, each cart could have a light 22, or not, as desired. Each player might have their own color ball with a matching marker 24 to be handled by the forecaddy so that the players could readily distinguish one ball from another, not only on the green but in the fairway and rough, which would also make it easy to tell which was which.

This method has the advantage that any golf course would become available for play after dark and would not require any alteration between daytime play and night time. Players might desire to use normal balls during the daytime. This would also be optional. Having the flag l6 fluorescent and the fluorescent rim 28 around the top of the cups would make no difference in the daytime and would not affect or distract the players.

Experience has shown that different balls are required for different situations. For instance, where the rough is deep, i.e. 6 inches or more, so that a ball may be easily lost, then a ball containing a radio transmitter could be used. Then the forecaddie, in such a situation, should be equipped with a properly tuned radio receiver.

When a player is approaching a green, another ball may be used, etc. Where someone in the foursome is a long hitter, for example over 225 yards, the forecaddie should be equipped with a sound amplifier so that he can hear the ball land and an especially bright hand spotlight so that he may locate it.

Also, the flags at different holes could be equipped with batteries arranged to light up the individual flags with an arrangement for snapping the lights off during the daytime and/or possibly replacing them with different flags. The same could be true of the flags for marking the balls carried by the foreeaddie. This could be an alternative to the total dependence on fluorescent flags for the various markers.

In addition, a strobe light might be mounted on caddie cart so that the strobe light effect would be projected from behind the driver. And the flashing light would be carried over in the vision of the players as well as the caddie who is out in front and the caddie will actually see where the ball has gone and be able to place his flag or stick there. Such a light could be in addition to or as a substitute for the light 22 in FIG. 1.

While I have shown and described a preferred form of my invention, it should be understood that suitable additional modifications, changes, substitutions and al terations may be made without departing from the inventions fundamental theme. It is therefore wished that the invention be unrestricted except as by the appended claims.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

l. A method of using a golf course comprising the steps of playing a game of golf under conditions of insufficient natural light and using a fluorescent golf ball, a golf course including fluorescent markers, and a transportable light to illuminate the various playing locations on or adjacent the tees, greens and fairways, said golf ball including a fluorescent material on the outer surface thereof, and said markers including fluorescent flags on the pins located in the holes on the greens, and fluorescent rims extending around the putting cups in said holes.

2. The method of claim 1 further characterized by observing the location of a driven golf ball relative a fluorescent marker adjacent said driven golf ball.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said fluorescent golf ball includes a radio transmitter therein so that the ball may be located with a properly'tuned radio receiver.

4. The method of claim 1 further characterized in that the transportable light is a strobe light. 3

propelled caddie cart. 

1. A method of using a golf course comprising the steps of playing a game of golf under conditions of insufficient natural light and using a fluorescent golf ball, a golf course including fluorescent markers, and a transportable light to illuminate the various playing locations on or adjacent the tees, greens and fairways, said golf ball including a fluorescent material on the outer surface thereof, and said markers including fluorescent flags on the pins located in the holes on the greens, and fluorescent rims extending around the putting cups in said holes.
 2. The method of claim 1 further characterized by observing the location of a driven golf ball relative a fluorescent marker adjacent said driven golf ball.
 3. The method of claim 1 wherein said fluorescent golf ball includes a radio transmitter therein so that the ball may be located with a properly tuned radio receiver.
 4. The method of claim 1 further characterized in that the transportable light is a strobe light.
 5. The method of claim 1 further characterized in that the transportable light is mounted on a self-propelled caddie cart. 